It is well known to provide a printer for rendering an output from a computer. In operation, a user selects a print option from a software application running on the computer (e.g., a word processor), at which point the software application generates a print job in response to the user selection. A printer driver installed on the computer is used by the computer to compile printer specific image rendering data from the generated print job. The printer specific image rendering data is then sent as a data stream to the printer, which “renders” the image on a media (e.g., paper, transparency, etc.).
At least one problem with conventional printers and conventional printing methods, however, is that they are incapable of tracking and/or conveying a printing status of the printer.